About Aurora

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

“The most important thing to remember when you are talking to a family is that they need you to listen and hear what they are saying. We strive to exceed the expectations of those families that we serve,” said Jimmy Lucas, funeral director and co-owner of Lucas Funeral Homes and Cremation Services. Jimmy Lucas, along with his father, Jim Lucas Sr. own 19 funeral home locations across north Texas. Lucas Funeral Homes and Cremation Services has been a partner with Aurora over the span of 40 years.

Why do you think that family-owned funeral homes are so important to the communities that they serve?

“Tradition is very important to Lucas Funeral Homes and in our years of experience caring for families we have been able to develop and nurture close relationships with families and build trust in those communities that we serve. Because we are family owned, we pride ourselves on having special relationships with families in the community. Family owned funeral homes are so important in this industry because we tend to do things differently. We are able to make a decision on the spot because we cater specifically to those families that we serve.”

How do you plan on leading your team through 2014?

“My plan has always been to surround myself with people in this industry who are passionate and caring, and driven by their heart to serve families. Our goals include getting everyone on the same page with the same mission, consistency throughout locations, and offering them more opportunities such as attending national conferences. We want to motivate them to learn and to continue to learn how to best serve our families.”

As you mentioned earlier, providing training is of the utmost importance. What is on the agenda for training in 2014?

“The first thing that we are going to do is the kick off the year with extensive product training. The focus is to provide correct information using effective communication skills and understanding when the family is motivated to make a buying decision. Our second quarter focus will be cremation phone training as well as refining presentation techniques in the cremation arrangement conference. The remainder of the year will be focused on organization, productivity, and leadership skills.”

How are you preparing you and your staff for this extensive training?

One of the things that I am most excited about is the implementation of progress evaluation forms. Lacy Robinson from Aurora has created self- reflection worksheets for every director to complete after the arrangement conference. This form will allow the funeral director what they felt worked in that arrangement conference and examine any challenges they faces. As we work to customize training programs and collaborate with Aurora, we will utilize these forms to address the issues and concerns that our directors face each and every day.

To learn more about Lucas Funeral Homes and Cremation Services visit their website by clicking here!